Made of Quicksilver and Light
by JChase
Summary: A character study of Anna before she met Mr. Bates. Each chapter will be from the perspective of a main character.


**Hello! I have only ever written one other Downton story and the response I got was so lovely that I thought I'd give it another go :) I'm planning this as a series of one shots from the** **perspective of a different main Downton character each chapter, all focusing on what they think of Anna (before she was Anna Bates). To be completely honest I've always loved the relationships between Anna & Mrs Hughes and Anna & Lady Mary so I will probably have a few from their perspective.**

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Elsie Hughes emerged from her sitting room, having just bid goodnight to Mr. Carson, and frowned at the light emanating from the servants' hall. It was well past midnight and everyone except for herself and Mr. Carson should by all rights be asleep.

Puzzled as to who it would be and what possible reason they could have to be up at this hour, she walked briskly to the entrance of the servants' hall to determine what was going on.

She was more than a little surprised to discover that the source of disorder was the newest member of staff; a petite, blonde girl, only twelve years old, who had been taken on just last week and was already proving to be a diligent worker with a sweet disposition. At the moment she appeared to be mending some of the linen by the low light of the candle, which was steadily dripping wax onto the table. The girl was so engrossed in her work she didn't seem to hear the housekeeper's arrival.

"Anna?"

"Oh! Mrs. Hughes!" Anna immediately jumped out of her chair, abandoning the linen in her haste.

"Why on earth aren't you in bed yet?" Mrs. Hughes wondered, carefully noting the way Anna was anxiously wringing her hands together.

"I'm sorry," the girl answered quietly. "I couldn't sleep."

Ah. Understanding washed through Mrs. Hughes and she sat down in the chair next to the child, nodding her head towards Anna's recently vacated seat to indicate that the girl should sit back down.

The housekeeper waited until Anna had slipped back into her seat before speaking. "Missing home, are we?" She prompted gently.

In the year she'd been at the abbey, not to mention the eight years she had spent as housekeeper outside of Downton, Mrs. Hughes had seen her fair share of homesickness in the young girls she was charged with. Most often it presented itself in the form of tears or harsh words, so she expected a similar reaction now.

Anna, however, neither burst into tears nor snapped at the housekeeper to mind her own business. Instead, the girl offered up a small shrug and looked up at Mrs. Hughes with eyes so haunted that the older woman wanted nothing more than to sweep the girl into her arms.

"Not so much anymore," Anna admitted, her voice soft. "I haven't been home for a while now, but I get letters from Mum every so often."

It was only then Mrs. Hughes remembered reading that Anna had worked as a between maid for the past three years in a village a few towns over, while her family lived further south.

Mrs. Hughes had wondered at the time exactly why this little girl, at only nine years of age, would feel the need to leave home to find work. It was a question she would generally ask in the interview, but she hadn't the chance. The house had been desperate for a new maid ever since the last girl left almost a month prior, and Mrs. Hughes had had trouble finding a replacement until she'd received Anna's application. The girl's references were wonderful and Mrs. Hughes had arranged for an interview the very next week, but unfortunately the housekeeper's sister had fallen ill, more ill than usual, at any rate, and she was out of town sorting things out, leaving Mr. Carson to conduct the interview instead. She had returned to find that the interview had gone well, according to Mr. Carson, so the lass was hired.

But Mrs. Hughes never did get the chance to ask why she'd moved so far from home to find work, and at such a young age no less.

Her thoughts must have been written across her face because Anna was shifting in her seat and avoiding eye contact, clearly uncomfortable with where this was heading.

The older woman's heart flew out to the poor thing, and she quickly cast around for something else to talk about.

"What are the linens doing here? Surely you know that mending them is Ida and Miss Curwen's job?" She inquired, hoping that the older staff hadn't been giving her extra duties to ease their own workloads.

"I know," Anna responded lightly. "But Miss Curwen says the mending hurts her hands so I offered to do it for her. I don't mind."

At Mrs. Hughes' unconvinced expression, the girl pressed on. "I want to learn, Mrs. Hughes, truly." She looked up at the older woman and her eyes were shining with optimism, drawing a fond smile out of the housekeeper despite barely knowing the girl.

"Can I tell you something, Mrs. Hughes?" Anna said quietly after a beat of silence, unconsciously leaning in closer.

The housekeeper instinctively did the same, lowering her voice to match Anna's. "Of course, lass. What is it?"

Anna bit her lip nervously before admitting in a whisper: "I'd like to be a Lady's maid one day, even if it takes me twenty years. I'm going to work harder than anyone you've ever seen to get there, I promise."

Mrs. Hughes felt a rush of emotion for this determined young thing, so bright and full of hope.

"I don't doubt that, my dear," she responded affectionately, reaching out to pat the girl's hand. Anna gave her a genuine smile, which was interrupted by a yawn. Mrs. Hughes chuckled in amusement. "It appears even future Lady's maids need their beauty sleep. Time for bed, I think."

Anna nodded obediently, jumping up and carefully collecting the linens to take with her, and the pair made their way up to the sleeping quarters.

When they reached their respective doors they bid each other goodnight, but the older woman kept thinking about how little the girl saw of home, and how young she'd been when she entered service. Just as Anna was about to enter her room, Mrs. Hughes couldn't help but blurt out: "Anna."

The young girl turned to face the housekeeper, arms still full of linen, with a slightly baffled, "Yes Mrs. Hughes?"

The housekeeper took a deep breath and gave what she hoped was a reassuring smile. "I hope you know that you can come to me for anything. Even if you just want a break, or safe place to talk."

There was a pause, in which the older of the two began to worry she'd said the wrong thing, but then Anna blinked, eyes suspiciously bright, and said: "Thank you, Mrs. Hughes. That means a lot."

Then she was disappearing into her room, leaving the housekeeper to do the same.

There was no doubt in Elsie Hughes' mind; Anna Smith was something special.

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 **Please, please, please let me know what you think! Good or bad, I don't mind, I'm honestly just desperate for feedback :)**

 **Thomas is next!**


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